A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in Japan and it’s safe to say that this wonderful country, its people, its sights (both natural and cultural) and its food seriously got under my skin. So it seems only natural that I would introduce a regular feature which harks back to all the amazing places I visited and ate at while I was living there (and on the return trips I have made since)…so welcome to Tokyo Tuesdays.
After our amazing meal at Akelare (more here), we arrived into San Sebastian late in the afternoon conveniently in time for sunset and walked out to the Comb of the Winds sculpture by Eduardo Chillida which is embedded in the rocks at the end of the beach.
On our second day in the Basque region, we hopped in the car and drove towards San Sebastian, stopping on the way for another indulgent meal at the three Michelin star Akelaré. Perching high on the cliff tops, Akelaré is built to look like a boat and as such is light, spacious and has spectacular views out over the sea.
I was wondering how I would fit another meal in after our meal at Azurmendi the night before but once the bread basket was waved under my nose, I knew I would somehow find space for our second tranche of gourmet fare.
After my first visit to the Ledbury I became a firm fan and even though I’ve now returned number of times, I am always excited to go back. The menu tends to repeat a number of signature dishes (all of which I am more than happy to eat time and again) but also serves up some new and exciting combinations of flavours.
The first gourmet experience of the weekend was a trip to Azurmendi – a restaurant that a number of sources ensured us wasn’t to be missed. They weren’t wrong!
As you might have gleaned from the short history of this blog so far, one of the boy’s favourite things to do is eat (and I’m not exactly averse to the idea!) So for the first weekend break we took together last year, we opted for the Basque region of Spain which is known for its gourmet food (both cheap and high-range),. We started off in the city Bilbao – renown for its art and food alike.
After all the big trips earlier this year, the summer has, for me, been more focused on the staycation. I’ve been going on holiday to the north coast of Cornwall ever since I can remember and in this age of easy air travel I definitely need to remind myself that sometimes the best places are just on your doorstep (or a five hour car ride away)… well, when there’s sun!
I love the food at Upstairs @ The Ten Bells so when I heard that the Young Turks had set up another restaurant nearby, Lyle’s, I was really keen to try it. As there is only one set menu on offer at Lyle’s you are ensured the best of the season’s fresh ingredients, and I was so grateful to them for being so accommodating of my dietary requirements and serving up some really delicious alternatives that were still in keeping with the general spirit of the menu.
It seems that not an evening goes by without seeing a celebrity wandering out of Chiltern Firehouse so I was intrigued to see if the current London hotspot was more style than substance…
After a few weeks of moving on to a new destination every couple of days we decided to end our trip with a stretch of time in one place. And what better place to relax than the beautiful Caribbean coast. We stayed at the luxury resort, the Viceroy Riviera Maya: perfect for some down-time.